Shane’s Take — Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach has quickly become one of my favorite non-fiction authors. It started when I read Packing for Mars. This one takes a look at what happens to our bodies after we die. Roach’s style is extremely readable, down-to-earth, and humorous. Starting with the early days of dissection and embalming, subsequent chapters talk about medical and other uses that we’ve found for bodies, thanks to willing donors. Throughout, it caused me to evaluate my own thoughts on what I want to do with my body after I die. After allowing for organ donation, a donation to science wouldn’t be a bad use.